Pune: How Difficult Is It To Find Beds For COVID Patients? Find Your Answers In This Patient’s Ordeal
Mehab Qureshi
Pune, August 30, 2020: After being discharged from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) run Dalvi Hospital, Shivajinagar, on Friday, Sanjay Sonawane’s 84-year-old mother, who was Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) positive, started complaining of breathlessness on the same day. Sonawane immediately rushed his mother to Dalvi Hospital again. However, no beds were available this time.
The hospital administration asked Sonawane to look for other hospitals, and without thinking twice, he marched towards the Jumbo Hospital at the COEP ground in Shivajinagar. However, here he came to know that there is no oxygen kit available yet. “It’s not convenient here. Only those with mild symptoms can be kept here,” said the Jumbo facility workers.
Sonawane saw his mother suffering, and losing his mother would be his worst nightmare in a completely chaotic situation. At this time, the names of all COVID care hospitals started leaping in his head. He decided to take his sick mother to Naidu Hospital, but they also said there was no oxygen bed available.
At his Wits’ end, Sonawane hurried to Jehangir Hospital, the response there was the same. “No beds available,” informed the administration of Jehangir. Grasping at straws, his final ray of hope was the state-run Sasson General hospital, where an oxygen bed was finally arranged for his mother.
However, many hours had passed in this process, and the elderly woman is still critical. This incident tells us that despite the display of hospital and bed information on the dashboard, patients are deprived of treatment. The 800-bed Jumbo COVID Hospital was inaugurated last Sunday. Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar had also announced that COIVD patients would be admitted there for treatment from Tuesday onward. Mayor Muralidhar Mohol tweeted that the admission of patients had started from Wednesday. Nevertheless, this was not found to be the case with the oxygen system or the ventilator.
